Time-lapse video of "Bonnie"

Repairing the Bonhomme Richard

San Diego's ship repair industry got a $74 million boost Wednesday night when the 840-foot amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard squeezed into dry dock at General Dynamics-NASSCO for extensive repairs and upgrades.

About 1,200 employees a day will work on the the ship, doing everything from resurfacing its flight deck to cutting about 90 holes in the hull so painters can access hard to reach areas of the interior. Five to six coats of paint and anti-corrosion material will be applied to the hull.

The Bonhomme Richard, which carries Harrier jets as well as a variety of helicopters, also will be modernized so that it can handle the Joint Strike Fighter, an aircraft expected to be added to the fleet later this decade.

Due to the breadth and complexity of the upgrade, four local shipyards are working on the 40,500 ton Bonhomme Richard, including NASSCO, BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair, Continental Maritime, and Pacific Ship Repair and Fabrication. Sub-contractors also are assigned to the project, which began early Thursday when workers began using high-pressure hoses to clean the exterior of the the ship, which will sit on three long, narrow stands until early April. The 875-dock was lowered more than 40 feet in the water Wednesday night to allow four tugboats to guide Bonhomme Richard into place.

The work is being led by NASSCO, which operates the second largest dry dock on the West Coast, and the largest in California. The biggest dry dock is operated by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington -- the yard where the San Diego-based carrier Nimitz will undergo repairs, starting later this month.

The 1,092-foot Nimitz is too large to fit into NASSCO's dry dock. The Bonhomme Richard does fit, but it is the largest type of amphibious warship that can squeeze into the dock. But it is not quite large enough to handle the 950 cruise ship Carnival Splendor, which docked in San Diego recently after being damaged by a fire in an engine room. The Splendor can fit under the Coronado Bridge, and NASSCO is south of the bridge. Splendor is being repaired at the 10 Street Marine Terminal.